Seminoff-Designed Home in Nichols Hills

The third stop on our architectural tour of Oklahoma City was the low-slung McConnell Residence.

This house was the first project designed by architect George Seminoff after graduating from the University of Oklahoma. The home was commissioned in 1957 by a local asphalt magnate and is located at the corner of Greystone Avenue and Pembroke Terrace in Oklahoma City. It was featured on the cover of a Parade of Homes newspaper article in 1959.

Exterior detail of roof overhang at McConnell Residence.

Fast forward to 2006: the house is purchased by the current owners, Robert and Cara Barnes. They tenderly renovated this Mid-Century gem- even consulting with the original architect. And once again it's a cover feature, this time in the April 2008 issue of Metropolitan Home.

Seminoff's adoration of Frank Lloyd Wright is evident throughout the house. 60 and 30 degree angles make up most of the rooms and accents. The garage is about the only place you'll find a right-angle corner. Materials are also oblique, featuring everything from redwood to shoji screens to leather flooring.

While all that might sound jarring, the house is anything but.

Seminoff combined unusual materials inside.

The flow is natural. Light filters in through the wall of windows. Sight lines are long and open. The rooms are ample and the home is situated to take advantage of seasonal sunlight and shade. Even when filled with dozens of curious tourists on this rainy Saturday it was still possible to easily navigate the house.

All of this is no happy accident. The house is unique, but well designed.

It's easy to see why this Mid-Century beauty is still a cover girl!

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